The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus for forming a visible image (e.g., toner image) on a sheet, more specifically, to an imaging apparatus in which an image read unit and a platen member provided which are pressedly contact each other and between which a feed path of the sheet is defined.
A document reading unit for reading information recorded to a document in a facsimile and the like is arranged such that a line-shaped image sensor is disposed perpendicular to the direction in which the document is fed in the vicinity of the feed path of the document. The recorded information is read by the image sensor while the document is being fed.
It has recently been contemplated to dispose an image sensor having the same length as the width of a document in close contact with the document being fed. With this arrangement, the size of a device can be reduced because a reduction optical system is not necessary. In this close contact type image sensor, since the degree of close contact of the document with the image sensor influences reading accuracy, a press member is disposed in confrontation with the image sensor to press the document against the image sensor and cause the same to come into in pressed contact therewith.
A reading unit making use of the aforesaid close contact type image sensor has a problem such that when a paper (document) is jammed between the image sensor and the press member, the document is dragged between the image sensor and it is the press member and difficult to be released from this state.